Quantcast

Seoul food served with a side of funny business

By Suzanne Parker

We have always been prejudiced against chain restaurants. Our preconceived notion is of mass-produced caloric meals nuked in the kitchen by minimum wage workers with few cooking skills.

Food snob, you say? Maybe so, but we’re ready to allow that not all chains are created equal.

Baek Jeong, originally a Seoul chain specializing in Korean barbecue, has opened its first restaurant in eastern Flushing.

Since by definition Korean barbecue depends upon raw meat and fresh vegetables closely scrutinized by the diner, Baek Jeong is a franchise operation that combines fresh ingredients with the economies of scale. The Flushing outpost is the first to arrive in the New York area, but they already have a presence in L.A., Honolulu and Atlanta.

Baek Jeong was founded by Kang Ho-dong, a professional wrestler turned comedian turned all around TV personality. The sensibility here is industrial chic meets manhwa — Korean comics. Sleek stainless steel high tech ventilators periscope up and down over gas grills inset in the tables. Walls are paneled with corrugated metal. Everywhere you look, there are cartoons of Kang Hang-do costumed as the Statue of Liberty, surrounded by nattily dressed, starry-eyed livestock.

Leave your vegetarian friends at home — this place is about meat. Not even a little poultry. You can either choose between several different cuts of beef or pork or as we did go for either a beef or pork combo of assorted cuts. The combos also come with some extras that aren’t included in the individual cuts, and the small size is enough for three to four diners.

Baek Jeong has its own way of doing things. The banchan — infinitely replenishible small bowls of condiment/side dishes — are less lavish than other Korean restaurants we’ve visited. There were a small assortment of condiments, cooked turnip, and the ever present cabbage kimchee. The emphasis here is on their “secret” sauce and salads.

There is actually an instruction sheet that explains the correct method of consuming your meal.

You are supposed to mix wasabi into the sauce, and the dressing into the shredded scallion and beans sprout salad, pick up a piece of meat with your chopsticks, dip it into the sauce, then pick up some each of the two salads and pop it all into your mouth. There are also romaine lettuce leaves on the table if you prefer to stick to the conventional taco style of Korean barbecue, but there is much to be said for the Baek Jeong method.

The servers are young and friendly. They do the cooking, snipping the meat into manageable pieces and turning as needed. The different cuts of meats are served sequentially. Overall, we found the beef to be more tender and flavorful than the pork. The standout of the beef was the prime short rib. Of the pork, the thinly sliced spicy pork belly was the most memorable.

The edge of the circular inset grill is ringed by metal troughs. One section contains cooked corn kernels with shredded mozzarella cheese. Not un-tasty, but seemingly incongruous. Another contains bits of bell pepper and onions slightly cooked by the heat of the grill. You can toss them on the grill and then add them to your meat. Half of the circumference is devoted to beaten egg, which steams as your meat cooks, absorbing smoky and meaty essences along the way.

The combos also include iron crocks of jiggae (stew). There is a choice of kimchee, beef brisket and soybean paste stew or kimchee stew. Both are great tasting. If you like the heat, the kimchee stew is the spicier one. The beef is more substantial, with even a couple of clams thrown in, but if you’re ordering beef barbecue, it may be a bit of overkill.

The Bottom Line

The comic art on the wall sets up a party vibe at Baek Jeong. It’s a good place to come with a group and hoist a few with your ‘cue. They have a full bar, with emphasis on Korean faves like Soju spirits made from sweet potato, Rice wine and Korean beer. If you’re a Westerner, new to Korean barbecue, this is a welcoming place to get your feet wet and enjoy the experience. Who knows, maybe this chain could become Korea’s Benihana.

Suzanne Parker is the TimesLedger’s restaurant critic and author of “Eating Like Queens: A Guide to Ethnic Dining in America’s Melting Pot, Queens, N.Y.” She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected].

Baek Jeong

152-12 Northern Blvd. (between Murray and 154th streets)

Flushing

(718) 886-8645

Price Range: Beef combos small (3 to 4 diners):$54.99/large:$89.99, Pork combos small:$47.99/large:$79.99

Cuisine: Korean barbecue

Setting: Large comic industrial

Service: Friendly young staff

Hours: 12 pm — 2 am seven days

Reservations: Recommended on weekends

Alcohol: Full bar

Parking: Street

Dress: Casual

Children: Welcome

Music: recorded Korean rock

Takeout: Yes

Credit cards: All

Noise level: Noisy

Handicap accessible: Yes